Playing with Fire
Audio Narrative, 2022
An audio narrative about expressing oneself proudly and the journey to reach that point despite the expectations against you. This project was created for a university course and deals with generational trauma and defiance against tradition through a fantasy lens.
Cast
Sam Woo as Nammu
Hugo Sy-A-Chin as Nargacuga
Carine Ho as Aquarius
Skills
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Scriptwriting
- Audio Recording
- Audio Editing
Tools
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Celtx
- Apple Logic X
- Zoom H5 Recorder
- Adobe Audition
Creation Process
Scripting
The purpose of this project was to develop creative scriptwriting and audio editing skills. The plot of Play with Fire was inspired by the backstory of one of my Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) characters, Nammu, a water Genasi (genie) who loves fire magic despite her heritage, and her conflict with her mother. The script was written using Celtx for formatting. After writing the script’s rough draft, I received feedback in class and made edits for wording, delivery, and directions.
Audio Recording
I recorded audio with myself and two peers as voice actors with a recording set-up that consisted of a Universal Audio Apollo Quad, a Universal Audio LA-610 MkII, and Apple Logic X. In this process, my voice actors recorded readings of their character's scripts with direction and feedback from me. For one actor, I was able to record in person with them. This allowed me to give directions for their delivery to improve their acting, and I also managed the tech for recording. My other actor recorded remotely and sent me their audio files which I listened to and gave feedback on, requesting retakes for lines as needed. In addition to voiced lines, I also recorded audio of footsteps, a lighter, and a door opening using a Zoom H5 recorder and shotgun microphone. For audio I could not record myself, I sourced audio files from freesound.org under free creative commons licenses.
Audio Editing
I edited the audio files and created a rough cut using Adobe Audition. I began balancing and cleaning my audio files; this was to make them all sound similar in quality before I began cutting the files into my audio track. After basic audio balancing, I scrubbed my files for the best takes of each line, cutting and stitching from different files as needed. To keep my sources organized, I designated different tracks for each character, background sounds, and sound effects. This format helped me recognize the speakers and manage my multiple files and assets. With a rough cut complete, I received feedback in class from my peers and professor which I implemented in my final cut.
Thumbnail
The thumbnail was not required for my project submission. I created the thumbnail long after the project's completion as a personal project and digital art practice. The thumbnail was created in Adobe Photoshop using a combination of digital drawing and graphic design techniques. I took a photo of my hand for reference and found a free creative licensed flame image to digitally sketch. For colours, I used watercolour brushes for the hand and background to fit the water theme and a soft round brush for the fire and lighting. To help me with shadows and lighting, I used multiple layers and effects to create depth.
Afterthoughts
This project gave me experience in audio recording and audio editing. I learned a lot about recording techniques as well as directing. It was also a fun experience where I was able to stretch my creative writing abilities and tell a story that was exciting and waiting in the back of my mind for a while, exploring a character that I adore in a format that was refreshing yet fitting. Of course, I also faced challenges in this process. My main difficulties came from expressing the fantasy setting effectively through audio and making the flashback transitions clear. Translating concepts without visual indicators was very challenging, but I hope I was able to do so effectively to paint the story I wanted to tell. Overall, I love the final product and the format and would be excited to try making another audio narrative some day.